Resolving chemical/bio-compatibility issues in microfluidic MEMS systems

We are currently developing a generic microfluidic system (on chip) for the detection of bio-organisms. Numerous bio/chemical compatibility issues arise in development of these chip based microfluidic systems. The resolution of bio/compatibility issues often necessitates a change in materials and, on occasions, leads to redesigning of the system itself. We have successfully decoupled the fabrication and compatibility issues that arose in the fabrication of a generic microfluidic system for chemical detection. We have successfully developed techniques for coating the offending surfaces with a Teflon-like amorphous fluorocarbon polymer CYTOP^TM and assembling the coated components. In this paper we briefly discuss the microfluidic system being developed by us and the bio/chemical compatibility issues that need to be addressed in this system. Next we discuss the material CYTOP and its application to surfaces and devices. The bonding technique developed to bond the polymer coated structures and some of the components fabricated using this material are also discussed.